


Bonding

by csichick_2



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 10:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2022225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/csichick_2/pseuds/csichick_2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel and Lindsey unexpectedly bond.  Post-episode for 2x07 Darla.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smaragdbird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/gifts).



> Hope you enjoy the fic. It didn't turn out as shippy as I'd initially intended, but it's been four years since I've written in the fandom.

After finding out that Holland played him, Lindsey wants nothing more than to go home and get drunk – a plan that is thwarted when he finds a brooding vampire in front of his apartment door.

 

“You played me,” Angel says before Lindsey has the chance to turn and leave.

 

Lindsey glares at him. “More like Holland played us both. Why aren’t you with Darla? I know you succeeded in rescuing her.”

 

“Well that was your plan along,” Angel responds. “Get me to turn her.”

 

“Which I’m assuming didn’t happen, since you’re blocking me from entering my own home,” Lindsey responds. “Get out of my way and I’ll invite you in, promise.”

 

Angel moves just enough to let Lindsey unlock the door, not necessarily trusting the lawyer to keep his word.

 

“You can come in,” Lindsey drawls, rolling his eyes.

 

Angel follows Lindsey into the apartment. “I was expecting something swankier. Since you’re making the big bucks an all.”

 

“You know what I told you about my childhood that time. When we saved those kids, “ Lindsey asks him.

 

“Oh right, that story,” Angel responds. “Everyone sleeping in one room, the bank taking the house.”

 

“It wasn’t a story,” Lindsey replies defensively. “It was my life. I’ve got siblings that still don’t have much – I help when I can.”

 

Angel was about to make a sarcastic comment, but something in his tone makes him stop. “So you’re not a soulless robot then.”

 

“No, that’s Lilah. You should have seen her talking to Darla when we first brought her back. Talking to her like a brain damaged child.”

 

“Why did you say that your boss set us both up?” Angel asks, making himself comfortable on Lindsey’s couch.

 

“Oh yes, make yourself at home,” Lindsey mutters before answering the vampire’s question. “I’m not sure how much you heard when Darla called you, but she smacked me upside the head with the phone and then shot and killed a security guard. I helped her escape and then Holland said they were terminating the project, which is when you almost killed me in a parking garage. I go to work today and see Holland talking to the security guard. None of it was real.”

 

“Except I ruined their plans by not turning her and now she’s god knows where,” Angel points out.

 

“They’ll find her soon enough, trust me,” Lindsey replies. “I would be surprised if there’s a tracking chip in her. It didn’t take them long to find her just now.”

 

“That does sound like something you lot would do,” Angel responds. “Can’t lose track of your pawns.”

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Lindsey says absently.”

 

Angel looks at him curiously. “You care about her don’t you?”

 

Lindsey nods. “At first she was just part of the plan. But after spending all that time with her, yeah, I do.”

 

“It’ll end in heartbreak,” Angel replies. “And you won’t a couple hundred years to get over her like I did.”

 

“I’m pretty sure you’re not actually over her,” Lindsey points out. “She wouldn’t have gotten to you if you were.”

 

“I don’t need life advice from you, Lindsey,” Angel says heatedly. “You’re a really bad host you know.”

 

Lindsey rolls his eyes. “Well I don’t exactly have blood on hand, so it’s not like I have anything to offer you. But if you’re going to stick around, I need a beer or ten.”

 

“The least you could do is offer me a beer,” Angel replies.

 

“Riiiiiight. Are you going to drink it?”

 

“No, but you should give it to me anyway.”

 

Lindsey sighs, but still grabs a beer for Angel when he gets his own.. “Are you just planning to be a pain in my ass all night?”

 

Angel smirks. “Pretty much.”

 

“I hate you,” Lindsey mutters.

 

“Oh I figured that one out already,” Angel replies amused. “You’re not exactly my favorite person either.”

 

“Yet you’re pretending to drink beer in my living room.”

 

“Well we’re in an exclusive club of people that have gotten screwed over for loving Darla and are still alive to tell the tale,” Angel says absently. “Pretty sure she ate all the rest of them.” He notices the fading tooth marks on Lindsey’s neck. “Looks like she tried to eat you too.”

 

“One second we were kissing and the next she was flipping out,” Lindsey says. “Luckily for me, she’s mortal.”

 

“It’s her soul. I know how tortured I was when I got mine back,” Angel says. “And she killed a lot more people than I did because she had nearly four hundred years to do it.”

 

“Did you know that Darla’s not her real name?” Lindsey asks. “She can’t remember what her real one is.”

 

“Darla wasn’t a common name until well after her human life ended. She was already using it when she turned me though,” Angel responds. “Did you bring her back because she turned be or because we were intimately involved.”

 

“Both, but more the latter,” Lindsey admits. “Who better to get under you skin than a former lover?”

 

“You really are diabolical,” Angel says, shaking his head.

 

“Wasn’t my idea,” Lindsey says defensively. “But yeah, firm as a whole is. That’s what they don’t tell you until after they’ve got you in their clutches.”

 

“Why did you stay? After the kids,” Angel asks.

 

“When Wolfram & Hart terminates an employee, they leave in body bag. I wasn’t getting out of that building a second time alive,” Lindsey replies picking at the label of his beer bottle. “And before you ask why I didn’t just stay away, I had a plan. It just didn’t work out.”

 

“Clearly,” Angel responds. “Why’d you work for them in the first place?”

 

“Why do you even care?” Lindsey asks, unsure what’s going on with the vampire.

 

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” Angel replies, handing his beer to Lindsey. “Since I’m not going to drink it, you might as well.”

 

Lindsey takes a drag of the beer before speaking. “I was attending college on a scholarship – knew I wanted to be a lawyer, but didn’t know how I was going to pull it off. Holland shows up at my school – says the firm will pay for me to go to law school, but I have to work for them. Should have known there was something hinky.”

 

“Probably,” Angel says. “You know you’re not half bad Lindsey, though I still don’t like you.”


End file.
